In many applications it is required to detect whether electrical terminals are fully seated within their corresponding housing. For example in the case of a multi-positioned electrical connector, multiple individual terminals are terminated to electrical wires, and each individual terminal and the wire are loaded into an insulating housing. In the event that one or more of the terminals is not fully seated, it is possible that this condition is unnoticed and upon mating with its corresponding connector part, it is possible that the unseated terminals actually get pushed out of its corresponding housing upon the attempted mating of the two connectors; or that no contact at all is made between the unseated terminal and the terminal in the corresponding connector part.
It has therefore become known in the connector industry to provide a so-called terminal positioned assurance member (TPA), which is typically a separate device, for example, a separate housing part which is insertable into the connector housing, and which may be fully inserted upon the full insertion of all of the electrical terminals, but not insertable if one or more terminals is not fully seated. In such an event, it is visibly noticeable from the exterior of the connector that the TPA is not fully seated, providing an indication that one or more terminals are not fully seated. And in some applications, if the TPA itself is not fully seated, it is impossible to mate the electrical connector with its corresponding counterpart connector.
One example of a connector design provides a primary latch which, when the terminal is fully seated, is latched behind an electrical terminal which is insertable in the electrical connector housing, where the TPA is insertable from a front of the connector having one or more tines which are positioned below the primary latch. In the event that the terminal is not fully seated, the primary latch is deflected providing inadequate space beneath the primary latch for the insertion of the TPA.
In some applications, the terminal geometry prevents the primary latch from being used as a portion of the TPA assembly. For example, it is customary that in order for the primary latch to be used with the terminal positioned assurance member, that the primary latch requires some modification to include an enlarged contact surface, such that the primary latch is adequately deflected upon partial insertion of a terminal. Some terminals, due to the location of the locking lance, cannot have both the modified latch, as well as the modified latch properly seat upon full insertion of the terminal.
These and other objects are accomplished by the disclosed embodiments.